


Intruder

by Lady_Sci_Fi



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (1963)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2020-07-21 06:17:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19997251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Sci_Fi/pseuds/Lady_Sci_Fi
Summary: While on a routine assignment, something evil finds its way into Sergeant Benton.





	Intruder

“Well, Sergeant, what do you think?” Captain Yates asked, overseeing the cleanup of the crashed alien ship, which was now wrapping up.

“I think we’ll be back at HQ in time for tea,” Sergeant Benton replied with a little grin.

Mike chuckled. “Yes, I suppose so.” He was grateful this had turned out to be a simple task, finding and cleaning up the remains of the wreckage. Perfectly simple, relatively quick, and tidy with no complications.

There hadn’t been much left of the lone alien body in the cockpit, and Mike nodded as the remains were loaded into the back of a truck. A few minutes later, everything was collected and packed up.

Just as they left for HQ, no one noticed the wispy blue light leave the remains of the ship’s pilot and enter through the open window of the truck Benton drove.

“Back in time for tea,” the sergeant said to Mike sitting in the passenger seat.

“Sounds perfect to me.” The captain suggested, “Maybe the Brig will even let us call it an early day.”

********

With everything properly disposed of, Mike and Benton took the few items of note to the Doctor’s lab. On the way, Mike noticed Benton shaking his head slightly. “Something the matter?”

“Only a headache. Just suddenly came on, is all.”

“We might have to rethink that drink tonight,” Mike remarked.

The Brigadier was also already in the lab when the pair entered and set the items on a counter.

The Doctor appeared annoyed at the task for him having interrupted whatever he was working on. “I suppose I could get to that today.”

“Doctor…” Alistair sighed. He looked over the things, then turned to his men. “Report.”

Mike began, and Benton stayed quiet beside him. But halfway through, the Doctor interrupted with, “Sergeant, are you alright?”

Mike looked to his side, to see Benton begin to sway as he stared straight ahead. It really must’ve been a bad headache.

Then, with no warning, Benton launched himself over the counter at Alistair. They crashed to the floor together in a heap.

“Sergeant! Stop!” Alistair cried out from underneath the larger man who seemed to be trying to claw at his face. He caught Benton’s hands, but Benton headbutted him in response.

It took Mike and the Doctor three seconds to recover from their shock. “Sergeant Benton!” the Doctor shouted, moving to try to grab the man around the waist. Mike hurried around the counter to try to grab Alistair and pull him away.

Benton kicked out backwards at the Doctor, catching him in the knee and felling him. Mike went to grab Benton’s shoulder, only to freeze when the sergeant lifted his face. The expression was far from anything Mike had ever seen on his boyfriend’s face. Snarling, teeth bared, eyes cold and predatory.

Mike didn’t get a chance to notice anything else, because Benton lifted his hand from holding the struggling Alistair down to punch Mike across the jaw. Mike cried out as he hit the wall of the counter.

Benton turned again to serve a backhand to the Doctor. Alistair got enough leverage to shove and kick Benton away enough to scramble out from under him. “What’s gotten into you?” he demanded.

Benton didn’t answer, blocking a strike from the Doctor. Mike recovered and went to tackle him from behind. But Benton seemed to sense it coming, and sidestepped, sending the captain into the Doctor instead.

Alistair got to his feet, ignoring the blood trickling from his nose and the stinging cut on his cheek, and quickly found himself bent backwards over the countertop, Benton’s hands again holding him down.

At that moment, Jo came into the lab, and stopped in her tracks at the scene. The Doctor shouted to her, “Get help!” Without question, Jo nodded and ran back out.

Mike got up first, and went for another tackle, this time connecting and bringing himself and Benton crashing to the floor together. Benton growled, and managed to get on top of Mike and straddle his waist.

“I don’t think so.” Benton’s voice was low and menacing. He grabbed Mike’s wrists in one hand and pinned them to his chest. He raised his other hand, and clenched it into a fist.

Then Benton’s face softened as he looked down at the other man. It was only for a second, then the hard predatory expression returned.

Mike had no way to defend himself, the sergeant’s strength feeling supernatural as he held his hands down. He mentally braced himself for the coming blow.

The Doctor reached them, and pressed his thumb and fingers to the back of Benton’s neck. Benton stiffened and clenched his teeth.

“No, no, don’t fight it,” the Doctor said.

Several seconds later, Benton’s fist and his grip on Mike’s wrists loosened. His eyelids fluttered, and he sagged forward a little.

“That’s it,” the Timelord encouraged.

“No…” Benton growled. But the Doctor’s attention became too much for him, and he quickly lost the fight. His eyes closed and he pitched forward. The Doctor guided him down, until he was unconscious half on top of Mike. The Doctor turned Benton onto his side to let Mike sit up.

The three conscious men breathed heavily at the exertion and shock of the attack. Alistair wiped at the blood on his chin and stood over the other three on the floor. “What was that about?”

“No idea,” Mike replied, staring down at Benton’s face. It looked normal again. The pain in his jaw flared, and he rubbed at it. Benton’s punch would certainly leave a bruise.

Jo and three soldiers hurried in, and the Doctor raised his hand to let them know they were alright. The Timelord ran his thumb over his mouth as he thought. “Captain, there was absolutely nothing unusual about the crash site?”

“Not that I saw or anyone else reported.” Mike couldn’t take his gaze off his unconscious partner. “He complained of a headache right before we came in, but I didn’t think that unusual.”

“There must’ve been something there,” Alistair responded.

“What happened?” Jo asked.

“Sergeant Benton attacked us.” Alistair crouched down next to said man to look at him more closely. “I don’t see anything obvious on him.”

“Sir?” one of the soldiers asked for orders.

Alistair looked to the Doctor, who advised, “Restrain him somewhere, and we’ll have to wait until he wakes up.”

Alistair nodded, and specified, “The holding cell.” The three moved back to let the soldiers pick up Benton.

“Why would he attack you?” Jo continued, watching as the sergeant was carried out.

“Something must’ve gotten a hold of him.” The Doctor stared ahead. “Something very strong to get him to attack us like that.”

“Is there any hope that it left him when you knocked him out?” asked Alistair.

“I have no idea, Brigadier.”

Mike clenched his teeth as he continued to massage his aching mouth, the change in his love’s face as he hesitated to hit him at the forefront of his mind.

********

“We had to restrain him more when he woke up,” the soldier reported as he led the Doctor, Alistair, Mike, and Jo to the holding cell a few hours later. “He nearly broke out of the handcuffs. He hasn’t said anything.”

“So he’s stronger than he normally would be,” the Doctor concluded. “And that confirms whatever it is is still in him.”

Jo looked to Mike, her eyes going over his bruising jaw in concern. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“It’s fine,” Mike answered quietly. It felt as though the fact that it was Benton’s fist hurt more than the punch itself.

They entered the cell, to find Benton sitting in a chair, his hands restrained behind his back and ankles to the chair’s legs. His head was bowed low, until Alistair dismissed the soldiers watching him. Then he lifted his head to see them, and smiled.

Mike couldn’t suppress the shiver at the unnerving predatory smile, as far as it could get from Benton’s usual adorable somewhat shy one.

“Sergeant?” Alistair prompted.

Benton’s gaze flitted between them, stopping on Mike. “He knows you. Something about you… special…” His voice still had the lower slightly growly tone as before.

Mike tried not to let any worry show on his face. There could only be one reason for this entity to focus on him. While there was a more pressing matter, for everyone to find out about their relationship like this…

“He knows all of us,” Alistair dismissed. “Who are you? What do you want?”

“He’s fighting me… Fighting to keep his memories and thoughts to himself.”

“He’s stronger than you,” Jo responded confidently.

“Oh, no I don’t think so. Not eventually.”

“Who are you and what do you want?” demanded Alistair.

“Sergeant John Benton.”

“Damn it, don’t play games with me!” Alistair’s voice rose.

“Why did you attack us?” the Doctor changed the topic.

“Because I wanted to.” Benton rolled his shoulders. He snorted at the thick rope around his upper arms. “This body is strong. Stronger with me.”

“Where did you come from?” the Doctor inquired. 

“My previous host crashed.”

“Previous host?” Jo echoed. “So you’re… you’re a parasite?”

Benton ignored her question.

“If you need help, we might be able to give that to you,” the Doctor offered.

Benton smiled. “I don’t want that.”

“Then what do you want?” Mike finally spoke, taking a step forward. He couldn’t stand seeing his partner being used like this.

Benton’s smile simply widened.

“You said Benton is fighting you,” Alistair brought up an earlier point. “Why not leave him, then?”

“I chose him, and I do like a challenge.”

“Even though he’s tied to a chair?” Jo pointed out.

Benton shrugged, and changed the topic. He sighed mockingly. “It doesn’t look like I hurt any of you too badly.”

“Yes…” Alistair remembered a detail about the attack. “You could’ve used your… Benton’s firearm. Why didn’t you?”

Benton looked almost offended. “There is little challenge and no honour in that.”

“Fortunately for us,” the Doctor said quietly.

Benton pulled his wrists apart to again test the strength of the combined cuffs and rope. “Perhaps attacking with three of you in the room was not the best of ideas, but I felt… restless.” Then he closed his mouth and eyes, and breathed deeply through his nose.

“You still haven’t said-“ Alistair started. The Doctor’s hand on his arm interrupted him.

“I think he’s done talking,” the Doctor stated. His guess was proven by Benton bowing his head and not giving them any more attention.

They had no other real option except to leave. The two soldiers waiting outside reentered the holding cell to keep an eye on Benton.

As soon as the door closed and they reached Alistair’s office, Jo pondered, “I wonder if he’s trying to get Benton completely under his control right now.”

“That was my guess, as well,” the Doctor sighed.

“So, now what?” Mike asked. “Whatever it is made it clear it wants to stay in Benton, even though it would probably serve its purpose better to possess someone else.”

“Doctor, do you think we could find any clues at the crash site?” Alistair asked.

“It’s certainly worth investigating more thoroughly,” the Timelord agreed. “Perhaps for energy readings or…” His voice trailed out into an incoherent mutter.

********

“It’s just so… terrible,” Jo said after taking a long sip of tea. The Doctor and Alistair had left for the crash site to investigate further a couple hours ago.

“Yes, it is,” Mike quietly agreed. He cleared his throat. “But the Doctor will figure it out and we’ll have our Sergeant Benton back in no time.”

“I hope so.” Then Jo looked directly at the captain. “You don’t blame yourself, do you?”

Mike sighed. He did, at least a little. “I was in command,” he pointed out. Maybe if he’d somehow been paying more attention to everything… He couldn’t even say when the possession had started, although when it had taken effect was obvious enough. Benton was simply completely normal one moment, and attacking the Brigadier the next.

“That doesn’t mean you can see everything. No one else did. Maybe it was completely invisible.”

Mike flashed a half-smile of appreciation at Jo’s consoling. “Perhaps.” He finished his tea and glanced around the mostly-empty mess hall. “I’m going to go check on him.”

Mike grabbed a wrapped sandwich and bottle of water on the way out. No doubt Benton would be hungry by now.

The two soldiers guarding the cell had taken up position outside the closed door. “Completely quiet,” one of them reported.

“Good. I’ll take over. Go on and take an hour break.”

“Thank you, sir.” The soldiers saluted and left.

Mike cautiously opened the door, to find Benton in the same position as before, with his head bowed low. Benton took several seconds to register the opening and closing of the door and respond.

Benton’s head rose, and Mike breathed in relief at the normal expression on his face. But he had to be sure.

“Is it you?” Mike asked softly.

“Yeah… yes, it is.” Benton’s voice sounded normal, but tired. He looked it, too. “He’s sleeping.”

“He is?”

Benton nodded. “I think I might’ve tired him out. Fighting back against him.”

“That’s good to hear. He mentioned you were doing that. Were you asleep when I came in?”

Benton shook his head. “I don’t think I can. I think… I think I need to stay awake to stop him from taking me over completely.”

If that were true, then Mike hoped the Doctor could sort this out soon. Benton had stayed awake for over a full day before during a mission, but how long could he last fighting against the thing the longer he had to stay awake?

Benton grimaced at the bruise on Mike’s jaw. “Did I do that?”

“It wasn’t you,” Mike replied. “And if it makes you feel any better, I think you stopped him from hurting me more. At least for a second.”

“When I had you on the floor…” Benton recalled.

Mike couldn’t contain his composure any longer, not now in privacy and talking to Benton instead of the thing in him. He stepped between Benton’s knees and caressed the other man’s cheek with his free hand. “I’m sorry,” he said, looking down at him.

“It’s alright.”

“No, it’s not.”

Benton softly smiled at the counter. “You’re right… but it will be. It’ll work out, like it always does.”

Mike saw the slow blink from tiredness, and moved his hand to the back of Benton’s head to tilt it forward to rest against his torso. Then he tilted his own head down to press his mouth to Benton’s hair. Benton reciprocated the affection, nuzzling his cheek against Mike.

“I’m sorry,” Mike repeated quietly, gently massaging the back of Benton’s head. He closed his eyes at Benton’s tiny moan.

Mike raised his head and slightly withdrew a few minutes later. “Anyway, I brought you food.” He lifted his other hand holding the sandwich and water.

Benton smiled. “Good thing, too. I’m famished.” He tried to grab for it, but could barely move his arms.

Mike winced at the rattle of the handcuffs behind the chair, wishing he could at least loosen the ropes. But he knew he shouldn’t, in case the other person took control of Benton’s body. Benton didn’t complain.

Mike unwrapped part of the sandwich and held it to Benton’s mouth.

A few minutes after the whole sandwich and most of the water had been consumed, Mike asked, “Do you know what he wants?”

Benton shook his head. “Just like I’m trying to keep my thoughts and memories to myself, he’s doing the same. Not that I’m trying to get into his. It’s all I can do to keep him out of mine.”

“I wouldn’t ask any more of you.” Mike’s tongue darted out for a second in concern. “Is it… painful?”

Benton took a long moment to admit, “A bit.” He quickly added, “I can take it.”

Mike knew it must be hurting more than what Benton admitted to. He didn’t verbally respond, instead moving in to kiss the top of Benton’s head. “I love you,” he whispered. Doing so broke their rule of saying it at UNIT HQ, but he figured that was what Benton needed to hear to stay strong. Benton nuzzled the top of his head upwards under Mike’s chin.

A little while later, after they had physically separated, Benton changed again. “He’ll be mine soon, Captain,” the low menacing voice said.

“I wouldn’t count on it,” Mike retorted. Despite his projected confidence, it hurt to see this. Still, he tried questioning the man, but only received more taunts before he fell quiet again. Unable to stand the sight, Mike left the room to stand guard outside.

He was relieved when the other two soldiers returned, so he could leave. He hoped the Doctor would come back with an answer.

********

Mike and Jo met the Doctor and Alistair back in the Timelord’s lab. The Doctor said before either could ask, “No, I didn’t find anything that might be of help.”

Mike sighed in disappointment. Jo winced and said, “That’s terrible…”

“Has he done or said anything?” Alistair asked.

“I was able to talk to Benton. Our Benton,” Mike answered.

“Our Benton?” Alistair echoed.

“How so?” the Doctor asked.

“Benton said the other person was asleep.” Mike sat on a stool. “He also said he can’t tell us what the other person wants or what he even is. It’s taking all he can to keep the other person out of his thoughts and memories.”

“We’d hardly want whatever this thing is to have all of Benton’s knowledge,” Alistair mused.

“I’m inclined to agree,” the Doctor responded. “But we may have to consider the possibility of letting it do that, if Benton can get information about it in return.”

“That’s certainly a huge risk, especially if it turns out Benton can’t,” Alistair pointed out. 

“What I don’t get is that if it can hop from body to body, why not get out of Benton and go into someone else?” Jo asked. “Not that that would be a good thing, of course. And not that I want it to stay in Benton, but-“

“Yes, yes, we understand,” the Doctor stopped Jo’s rambling. “And that is a good question.”

“Best I can tell, he’s doing it to have fun,” Mike guessed.

“I suppose that’s as legitimate a reason as any.” The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck as he thought. “Or what if… what if it can’t leave Benton?”

The other three made unpleasant faces at the idea.

“At least, not unless something terrible were to happen to him?”

“You can’t seriously be suggesting-“ Mike protested first.

The Doctor raised his hand. “Not that I would suggest we enact such measures, of course. I’m only saying that its previous host was the pilot of the crashed ship. The pilot’s death probably would’ve forced this creature out of the body.”

“Yes, well, let’s do our best to avoid that,” Alistair said with a raised brow.

“Believe me, Brigadier, I’d rather avoid doing anything drastic to our Sergeant Benton. I’m already thinking of possible other solutions.”

“And what do we do until then?” Jo asked.

“As much as I hate to say it, we leave Benton where he is, and hope this entity doesn’t get bored with him and moves to someone else, if it can.”

Mike slumped slightly. Not that he wished for anyone else to be possessed if that was the only way at the moment, but he wanted it out of Benton as quickly as possible.

********

Mike laid in the bunk, staring up at the ceiling. He’d been doing that most of the night, unable to get more than an hour or so of sleep. He wondered if the Doctor, Jo, or the Brigadier had gotten much, either.

He and the latter two hadn’t wanted to go home for the night when it became clear the situation wasn’t going to be resolved that quickly. The Doctor’s second attempt at questioning hadn’t resulted in any more information.

Mike couldn’t stop his thoughts from drifting to the possibility that they couldn’t get the creature out of Benton. What if drastic measures was the only option?

In desperation to focus on something else, he glanced to the clock on the wall. Just before five a.m. But before he could mentally complain, he reminded himself that Benton also wouldn’t have been able to sleep. “I’m sorry, John,” he whispered. A little smile flickered on his face at knowing what Benton would say in response.

A few minutes later, an alarm sounded, jolting Mike upright and out of the bunk. He pulled on his shoes, foregoing putting on his uniform jacket, and hurried out.

He had a feeling he knew what it was, and hurried to the holding cell. One of the two guards was still barely conscious, and slurred, “He broke out.”

Mike checked inside the half-open door, and found the remnants of pulled-apart cuffs and untied rope on the floor around the empty chair. Benton had obviously become stronger than before. Much stronger.

Mike backed out and jumped over the fallen soldiers to look for the missing sergeant. He had no idea where to even start looking, but hopefully this was the right direction.

He turned a corner. Several steps down the corridor, he turned his head at the sound of a door opening to his side. He barely had a second to register Benton’s bared teeth and cold blue eyes before the man slammed into him with immense force, tackling him against the wall.

Mike couldn’t even cry out as the air left his lungs at both impacts. The most he managed was a low groan through clenched teeth. He had no chance to recover as Benton kneed him in the stomach.

He doubled over, gulping for breath. Benton grabbed his hair and yanked him upright, then slammed his head back against the wall. Mike had to blink a few times to clearly see the predatory grin on Benton’s face.

“Perfect,” Benton said in the voice that wasn’t his. “He still fights me, but-”

“Possess me, then!” Mike near-shouted.

“Where would the fun be in that?” Benton slowly shook his head, and ran his tongue over his top teeth. His hand in Mike’s hair twisted it painfully. “No, he will be mine, and you are the key to breaking him.”

“He’s strong-“ Mike yelped as Benton’s hands seized his shoulders and easily slid him up the wall several inches.

“He is strong, but you… you are special to him above all others. I don’t know exactly why, but I can make a good guess.” Then Benton’s face softened, and he suddenly dropped Mike.

“John?” Mike knew Benton had been able to take control again. But then he found himself backhanded two seconds later, then again lifted against the wall. This time, Benton’s thumbs dug into the hollow of the captain’s throat. Mike’s hands gripped Benton’s, trying to release the iron grip on his shoulders. His fingers wrapped around the metal cuffs still secured around Benton’s wrists.

“Threatening you, hurting you will break him.”

Mike kicked out, although not as hard as he could have. He couldn’t bring himself to do anything that would really harm his partner.

“Come on, fight back harder, Mike,” Benton taunted.

“John… J-John, please…” Mike did kick out a little harder.

“He’s screaming at me to stop.” Benton smiled almost gleefully.

Mike’s gaze locked with the intensely cold blue one. He thought he felt the slightest easing of pressure on his throat.

“Let him go!” shouted the Brigadier.

“Brigadier, don’t do anything,” the Doctor advised.

Benton didn’t even turn his head to look at the newcomers, and Mike didn’t either, holding the stare, hoping it could be enough to help turn the tide inside Benton’s mind.

“You won’t shoot your good sergeant,” Benton stated.

“And you won’t harm Captain Yates,” the Doctor said.

Benton simply shook his head.

The pressure against Mike’s throat had certainly become painful now, and it had become difficult to breathe. His kicking out and struggling with Benton’s hands weakened. “Fight it,” he encouraged through his straining voice.

Their eyes were so focused on each other that they didn’t notice the Doctor slowly approaching.

“I’m sorry,” the Timelord apologized.

A split-second later, Benton’s body froze, and his teeth clenched. Mike didn’t have any time to wonder what the Doctor had done, as the electricity transferred into him, too. He cried out at the shock and pain as it continued.

“Let him go,” the Doctor advised.

Benton’s grip on Mike loosened slightly, but he growled, “No!”

Mike’s eyes squeezed shut, and sucked in short breaths through clenched teeth. He would ride this out, if this was what it took to get his Benton back.

“Sorry,” the Doctor said again, and the electricity intensified.

Both men cried out together, yet Benton still kept his eyes on Mike’s face and hands firmly grasping his shoulders. Mike’s eyelids fluttered at the ingoing electricity and lack of oxygen.

Then, Benton’s face changed, and he dropped Mike. But he followed him down a second after, both men collapsing into a heap on the floor.

********

Mike groaned lightly as he slowly came back to awareness. He was sitting upright in a chair, his head tilted back. “He’s coming around,” he heard Jo say before he blinked his eyes open. Her concerned face filled his vision as he lowered his head.

“Hey,” Jo said softly. “How are you feeling?”

Mike blew out a long breath, but didn’t answer. “What happened?”

“You both passed out.” She stepped aside to let Mike see what else was going on.

They were in the Doctor’s lab. The Timelord and Alistair looked up from some sort of device on the counter to Mike. The Doctor smiled and said, “I’m glad to see you awake. I’m rather sorry you had to get caught in it.”

Mike grimaced at the sight of Benton, unconscious and again restrained to a chair the same way as in the holding cell. Several thick wires were laid in a circle around him, and there were thin wires attached to his head. Mike turned his head to the door, and saw three soldiers standing guard, no doubt in case Benton woke up and tried to fight them again.

He turned his attention back to the Doctor. “What did… what did you do?”

“I tested a theory, and I think I’m on the right track. I’m relieved Benton lost consciousness when he did. I really didn’t want to go much higher on the intensity.”

“Electricity?”

“Rather unpleasant, I know. But a blue wispy entity began to separate from Benton before he lost consciousness. It fully went back in him at that instant.”

“So, what does this thing do?” Alistair asked of the device and setup around Benton.

“It’s going to focus the electricity to a specific area, instead of over the entire body. It should hopefully mean I won’t have to make the shock as intense to separate them. It should then stay inside the circle.” The Doctor lifted a container. “And then this should be able to contain it.” He considered Benton. “I think we should do this before he wakes up. Less painful for him.”

Mike got to his feet, a little unsteady for a few seconds before approaching the unconscious Benton. “He won’t be hurt badly?”

“As much as I can avoid, Captain. Believe me.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

“Be ready in case he breaks free again,” Alistair answered. He nodded to the soldiers by the door.

“Jo, you try to stay out of the way. Benton is much stronger than normal,” the Doctor said. At her nod, he looked to Alistair and gestured to the device on the counter. “Now, Brigadier, when I tell you, press this button. Then when I tell you again, turn it off.”

“I can manage, Doctor.”

“Good.” The Timelord stepped inside, holding the container. He briefly patted Benton’s shoulder. “Turn it on.”

Benton’s body immediately reacted, stiffening. His hands behind his back splayed, then fisted.

Mike’s hand clenched at his side, wishing he could rush in and hold Benton, do anything to ease the pain. But all he could do was stand here and watch.

“No…” came the low growl from Benton. He lifted his head, baring his teeth. “I want him. He’s mine!”

“No, he’s not,” the Doctor countered. “Leave him.”

Benton shook his head, but the building pain showed clearly on his face. His eyelids fluttered. He tried to pull his cuffed and tied wrists apart. The whimper that came from his mouth sounded like their Benton, and Mike again had to fight the desire to go to him.

But eventually, the thing in Benton succumbed to the electricity, and they all saw the blue entity begin to come out of him.

Mike had to bite his lip to stop himself from crying out to Alistair to turn the device off when it looked like the full thing had emerged. The Doctor had a plan, and he couldn’t mess it up.

The thing tried to go back into Benton, and retreated from him. The Doctor put himself between it and Benton, and cornered it against the invisible barrier created by the electrical wires on the floor. With a little more maneuvering, he shut and locked the container around it. “Now!”

Alistair quickly shut the device off, and Benton slumped forward in the chair, his body suddenly slack. The Doctor set the container on the floor to check on Benton.

“Sergeant?” The Doctor tilted Benton’s head back.

Benton shivered, and breathed heavily. “D-Doc?”

“That’s it,” the Doctor encouraged. “Just breathe.”

“He’s gone,” Benton stated after a moment. A small smile flickered over his features, and was quickly overtaken by exhaustion and the lingering pain.

“That’s good. That’s very good.”

Jo grinned widely and hugged Mike’s arm tightly in relief. Mike’s smile was smaller, concern still filling him. All he wanted to do now was take Benton home and hold him.

Benton’s eyes fell to the container on the floor. “He’s in that?”

“Yes, Sergeant,” Alistair answered, stepping inside the circle to pick it up. “And we’ll find a way to dispose of it.”

Benton nodded. The Doctor undid the restraints around his wrists and arms before continuing to look him over. Benton closed his eyes, and rubbed his aching wrists. “I’m sorry,” he quietly apologized.

“There’s nothing for you to apologize for,” Alistair responded. “You did your best against it.”

A few minutes later, the Doctor reported that Benton would be fine, given time to rest and recover. Alistair dismissed the sergeant and Mike. It was now about eight a.m., and both men were glad to be allowed to go home.

Thankfully, it wasn’t long until they were at Mike’s place. Benton had spent the ride as Mike drove trying not to fall asleep. The pair practically collapsed into bed together after changing into pyjamas.

Benton apologized again for what the entity had done to Mike. Mike simply kissed him softly in response to console him. 

As Benton quickly drifted into sleep, Mike watched his face. His normal peaceful face. He caressed it with a gentle hand, then settled on the pillow and closed his own eyes.

Benton unconsciously snuggled closer to Mike, and Mike draped his arm over him to hold him close.


End file.
